I Became The Academy’s Narrow-Eyes

< Chapter 101: The True Understander >

The Masked One.

It ranks among the favorite romantic novels of Phibian.

And then there’s Jess.

The male protagonist of The Masked One.

Jess, fittingly for his job as a library librarian, is intellectual but frail-looking, an extremely ordinary character.

However, in reality, his identity is the heir to a fencing family that was falsely accused and destroyed for treason.

Jess has thoroughly hidden both his identity and the fencing techniques he wields.

Because if either were to be exposed, he would immediately be pursued as a traitor and lose the hard-won everyday life he had regained.

Then, one day.

Pia, the lady of a noble family whom Jess adores – the female protagonist, finds herself in danger.

Jess is torn.

He could save Pia by using the forbidden fencing technique.

But then, he would be chased as a traitor once again.

Jess did not want to lose his daily life.

Nor did he want to leave Pia in danger.

After much contemplation, Jess comes up with a brilliant solution.

Creating a fake identity that could freely wield the forbidden fencing technique.

Thus, The Masked One was born.

Whenever Pia was in danger, The Masked One would appear without fail and rescue her from peril.

The Masked One was a traitor.

However, he walked the path of a hero.

With the forbidden traitor’s fencing, he defeated villains and helped the weak and the righteous.

A mysterious person appeared before the party of Phibian.

Just like how he defeated a terrible monster with the forbidden power of dark magic and saved them.

Is that why?

Phibian suddenly recalled a scene of The Masked One.

The moment when Pia, the female protagonist, was in a desperate crisis.

After the male protagonist, Jess, disappeared, he appeared in the guise of The Masked Man and helped her.

It was astonishingly similar to the situation Phibian found herself in.

“Ceylon…?”

Thus, without realizing it, Phibian called out that name, looking at the mysterious figure.

Just as Pia had called out Jess’s name upon seeing The Masked One.

“…!”

And then she immediately covered her mouth in embarrassment.

‘What am I saying?’

Based on the battle just now.

The mysterious figure in front of her could be a great mage, ranked among the continent’s best, and possibly at a similar level to her own mother, who is a strong figure.

A dark mage who has reached the transcendental realm.

Could this ridiculous, foolish, ugly, petulant, stupid, and annoying man be a dark mage who has reached the transcendental realm?

It was unbelievable.

‘Uh…’

As Phibian denied her own thoughts, she was embarrassed once again.

-The Masked One being Jess. It’s impossible.

Denying the connection between Ceylon and the strange being, she now realized how similar her current situation was to that of the female protagonist, Pia, who felt and denied the connection between the male protagonist, Jess, and the man behind the mask.

‘Crazy… I should read novels in moderation.’

Of course, she knew.

How foolish it was to overlap her own situation with that of a novel.

Yet, knowing this,

Phibian couldn’t stop her foolish train of thought and continued on.

-How am I supposed to believe your story when you approached me hiding the fact that you’re the son of a traitorous rebel?

Please, just disappear from my sight without saying anything. Not denouncing you is the last thing I can do for you.

-Jess, why…! Why did you save me!? I was so cruel to you…! Jess! No! You have to wake up!!! It can’t end like this!!! I didn’t even get to say thank you… or I’m sorry…! Oh…no…

Pia, the female protagonist behind the mask, was too focused on the fact that Jess had hidden his identity as a survivor of a traitorous family, and couldn’t see him for who he really was.

She couldn’t believe in all the actions and emotions he had shown her and didn’t accept Jess for who he was.

Later, she realized that Jess was framed as a traitor due to a conspiracy by his enemies and that his actions and feelings towards her were genuine.

But by then, it was too late.

Phibian felt intense frustration and contempt for Pia while reading “The Man Behind the Mask.”

She thought she would never have acted like that.

She would have at least listened to Jess’s story.

Therefore, Phibian tried to adopt a receptive stance.

What if the identity of this strange being was really Ceylon?

That would be a shockingly hard truth to accept.

The identity of Ceylon as a dark wizard dealing with forbidden powers.

Deceiving people while hiding his identity as a dark wizard.

However.

This dark wizard saved her.

So.

Could this dark wizard, in essence, be a good entity, just like the man behind the mask?

Like Jess was unjustly accused of being a traitor.

Could there be an unavoidable circumstance that forced Ceylon to become a dark wizard?

‘Remembering that time-‘

Phibian recalled the moment she insisted on participating in the dungeon conquest, and Ceylon showed his discomfort.

At that time, Ceylon mentioned that because Phibian insisted on participating in the dungeon conquest, he couldn’t entrust the dungeon conquest to someone he had in mind.

‘It was originally planned to easily conquer the dungeon using the power of dark magic, but my involvement thwarted his plan.’

A hypothesis formed in Phibian ‘s mind.

* * *

Ceylon was worried about Phibian.

He feared that one day Phibian would activate the power contained within a necklace she cherished and set out to conquer a dungeon.

And thus, she might suffer at the hands of the terrible monster dwelling deep within the dungeon, created by dark wizards.

Therefore, Ceylon wanted to conquer the dungeon on her behalf.

However, Phibian was adamant about participating in the dungeon conquest herself.

Ceylon fell into deep thought.

Who would believe that there exists a monster within a 5-star dungeon, a monster with transcendent power surpassing 7 stars?

Moreover, it would seem suspicious for a mere commoner to possess such tremendous information.

Ceylon pondered and pondered.

Then, he came up with a brilliant solution.

He decided to create a fake identity that could freely use forbidden powers.

Thus, at the crucial moment, Ceylon appeared as a true Harasin.

He used the power of dark magic to defeat the monster.

And all these actions were attributed to the plan of the true Harasin, framing the fake identity for Ceylon’s crime of misleading people with false information and putting them in danger.

Why?

The answer is simple.

To help the woman he loved while also protecting his own daily life.

Just as Jess, the male protagonist from “The Man Behind the Mask,” had done.

* * *

It was perfect.

Phibian thought to herself that the hypothesis she had come up with fit the current situation exactly.

Ceylon had risked losing his daily life to conquer this dungeon.

Why?

It was predetermined.

Because he didn’t want me to face danger in this dungeon without him.

Then why?

Why didn’t he want me to face danger in this dungeon?

It was predetermined.

Because he was worried about me.

Because he had affection for me.

That’s why he went as far as risking his own life for me.

‘I feel annoyed…!’

Phibian chuckled at her own irritation(?).

“Huh?”

Thus, Phibian, who had been lost in her thoughts – not fantasies.

Once her contemplation had settled, she finally became aware of the numerous gazes directed at her and snapped back to reality.

All eyes in the place were focused on her.

After all, she had fallen into deep thought after performing the incomprehensible act of calling the strange being “Ceylon.”

“Ceylon?”

“Now that I think about it – where on earth did Ceylon go!?”

“Oh no – Ceylon!? Ceylon!!!”

However, no one else had reached the same conclusion – or rather, possibility as Phibian.

They began to belatedly inspect the interior of the cave.

Watching them, Phibian felt a certain exhilaration.

‘Am I the only one who has recognized – or suspects his identity…?’

It felt as though a secret and special world that only included that man and herself had been created in this world.

Of course!

All of this was just a possibility.

Phibian was merely actively expecting – no, worrying about this possibility.

With such worry(?), Phibian pressed the strange being.

“Where is Ceylon?”

The transcendental dark wizard –

The members of the party were in awe of Phibian ‘s courage to treat an entity claiming to be a Harasin so ordinarily.

Even knowing he was not an enemy, it was not easy to treat a dark wizard of such a level so casually.

At their reaction, the strange being shook his head and looked at the others before speaking.

“We, the ‘true’ Harasin, are observers, coordinators, shadows in essence. We dedicate ourselves from places unseen, untouchable, not possessing like the light, nor coveting like the darkness. Let the light not bow to the shadow.”

The strange being expressed admiration for Phibian ‘s courage with a voice that seemed to emanate from the depths of an abyss.

“…!”

Daltasian’s face showed a profound enlightenment at the power-laden voice.

“…”

“…”

And the others.

The strong caution and fear previously visible in their expressions as they looked at the strange being were gradually dissipating.

The strange being was indeed a nefarious entity handling forbidden powers – a dark wizard.

However, this being used those forbidden powers to save people from peril.

And did not seek any reward.

Nor did it demand respect or awe.

Rather, it showed respect to those it had saved.

In their eyes now, the strange being was both a dark wizard and a Harasin.

An entity that should be antagonized, darkness itself.

Yet, its essence was closer to the purest light than any power they had ever experienced before.

A slight crack appeared in their firmly established values.

A crack just big enough for a single dark wizard, a Harasin, to slip through if handled well.

It was a slight but significant change for someone.

It was the moment when sympathizers of the right hand were born.

“No, but seriously, where is Ceylon?”

Regardless.

Phibian pressed the strange being with an annoyed expression.

The party members were inwardly shocked at Phibian ‘s attitude.

Even after witnessing all this, to treat that entity in such a way.

Had she not understood the essence of this mysterious being?

On the contrary.

Phibian ‘s actions stemmed from a deep understanding of the essence of this mysterious entity, more than anyone else.

Phibian, contemplating a possibility.

She reflexively pictured Ceylon striking a pose behind that mask.

With that smirking face.

‘Ah, why am I so annoyed!?’

And then she felt an unbearable sense of frustration.

It was a momentous flow for someone.

Firstly.

It was the moment when Ceylon’s sympathizer was born.